Heavenly Father, I praise You for today. I praise You for helping me get over my sinus infection and for giving me rest. I praise You for giving me Your word to learn how to live, to understand salvation, grace, mercy, and why we are here and where we need to go.
Holy Spirit I have learned from reading and from experience that life is messy. Man was created from dust and dust he will eventually return to. I know that while Christ was here on the earth that he spit in the dirt and made mud and placed it on a man’s blind eyes to wash in the pool so that his blind eyes became seeing eyes. Christ stood before an angry crowd ready to stone a woman caught in adultery and stared them down saying only, “He who does not have any sin may cast the first stone.” This would stop the people in their tracks about being judges that they had no right to be. Christ had to be persecuted, whipped, beaten, and nailed to a cross which would be raised to publicly display his broken, battered, naked body to a world who did not deserve to even be in his presence. His death and later his resurrection would be the fulfillment of the law and cost from the sin of Adam to all generations. Now we could accept the gift of salvation and have the hope of eternal life.
My life, like many others, is full of messes. Yet, You still want to have a relationship with me and use me, with the gifts You have provided uniquely for me, to tell the world of Your offer of salvation. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1&2—Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. I have been broken to the point that these verses have become my one focus in life to help me hold onto the hope that was born in me when I received the gift of salvation at the age of 16. I have had to live through all the messes in life and be completely broken down and learn that I have no control over anything except whether I accept, follow, and worship God or not. I no longer live for me, for my way leads to death. I no longer try to assume how things should be because this only leads to depression, discouragement, and anger. I no longer try to put God in a small box for God can not be contained. I have learned, like Isaiah the Prophet, that God’s thoughts and ways are well above anything I have.
Holy Spirit help me to walk daily in Your Spirit and direction so that as messes come and go around me, I will stay the course, run my race and see Jesus.
The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:7-11